"Niannian, am I being too lenient with you?"
Mu Qi's grip tightened around Yun Shunnian as she reached out to touch the two handcuffs he had casually discarded.
Mu Qi didn't mind breaking free from these chains repeatedly, but every second he couldn't find Yun Shunnian drove him to madness.
Yun Shunnian remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry, I won't lock you up again."
As Yun Shunnian spoke, Mu Qi's expression didn't relax; instead, it grew more tense.
Did Niannian no longer care about him?
Did she want to leave?
Was he ultimately unable to become the person Niannian loved?
...
As Mu Qi's doubts echoed one after another, his arms around Yun Shunnian's waist drew tighter, as if he wanted to merge her into one with him.
"Mu Qi, it hurts too much."
Before Yun Shunnian could even ask Mu Qi to get up so she could tend to his wounds, she was suffocated by his embrace. She could only manage to place her hand on Mu Qi's hand, trying to regain his attention.
Fortunately, Yun Shunnian could always easily capture Mu Qi's full attention. Noticing her discomfort, Mu Qi loosened his grip.
Yun Shunnian, no longer feeling the heavy pressure on her abdomen, took several deep breaths. Before she could recover, Mu Qi gripped the back of her neck.
Without giving Yun Shunnian time to resist, Mu Qi leaned down.
Mu Qi's body pressed tightly against Yun Shunnian's. His crimson lips ground repeatedly against her neck, as if trying to leave behind proof that they were one.
Mu Qi's state was unusual. As if mindful of Yun Shunnian's earlier cry of pain, he alternated between restraint and frenzy.
"Mu Qi, can we tend to our hand wounds first?"
Yun Shunnian was bewildered by Mu Qi's sudden reaction and felt immense heartache.
No one could witness their loved one bleeding profusely and in extreme emotional distress without being moved.
As Yun Shunnian spoke, Mu Qi seemed not to hear her, continuing to try and leave his mark on her body.
Helpless, Yun Shunnian deliberately relaxed her body and continuously stroked Mu Qi's back.
After an unknown amount of time, Mu Qi finally stopped.
Yun Shunnian took a deep breath and gently kissed Mu Qi's forehead.
Mu Qi's body instantly tensed, and he abruptly sat up as if to escape, but Yun Shunnian promptly wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Mu Qi, you've had enough of this. It's time for medicine."
Yun Shunnian's tone was not stern, but rather soft.
Seeing Mu Qi freeze, Yun Shunnian immediately took out the first-aid kit and began to tend to his bloody arms.
Yun Shunnian first disinfected Mu Qi's wounds with iodine, then used tweezers to gently clean them with medical cotton before applying ointment and bandaging them.
"Mu Qi, I'm sorry."
Yun Shunnian looked at Mu Qi's arms, now wrapped entirely in bandages, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
If she hadn't insisted on locking Mu Qi up, he wouldn't have gotten hurt.
Looking at Mu Qi's wounds, Yun Shunnian couldn't tell if it hurt more that Mu Qi had met with Ling Xue in secret, or if this current pain was worse.
"I don't want apologies," Mu Qi said, drawing Yun Shunnian into his embrace. He frowned, his voice soft and aggrieved.
"Then what do you want?"
Yun Shunnian asked tentatively, her heart wondering if she wouldn't re-lock Mu Qi if he dared to mention divorce.
"Yun Shunnian, all I want is you," Mu Qi's words carried a hint of threat.
Yun Shunnian was taken aback and, in turn, wrapped her arms around Mu Qi.
Even though the memory of Mu Qi stabbing her heart with a knife was still vivid, Yun Shunnian couldn't help but be captivated by the moment.
"Then you must cherish what you have," Yun Shunnian whispered softly into Mu Qi's ear, tilting her head.
"Mmm," Mu Qi replied quickly, his previously uneasy heart gradually calming.
"It's almost dawn. Go back to sleep, Mu Qi," Yun Shunnian said, pulling him to lie down on the bed.
Yun Shunnian then covered Mu Qi's eyes with her hand again. This time, as soon as she placed her hand, Mu Qi pulled it away.
"Then I'll go to sleep first."
Yun Shunnian knew that Mu Qi's emotions were too volatile right now. If she insisted he sleep when he didn't want to, it might be counterproductive.
So, Yun Shunnian decided to sleep first, setting an example for Mu Qi.
As humans evolved, imitation was a crucial learning ability, and unconscious imitation was ubiquitous.
Yun Shunnian thought hazily, her tired limbs soon dragging her into sleep.
Unfortunately, Yun Shunnian's careful plan didn't work on Mu Qi at all.
Mu Qi showed no signs of subconscious imitation. He didn't even notice when his eyelashes, illuminated by the moonlight, fell.
Early morning sunlight, filtering through the lace curtains Yun Shunnian loved, kissed her eyes.
As if disturbed by the light, Yun Shunnian stirred in Mu Qi's arms and then opened her eyes.
Seeing no trace of sleepiness in Mu Qi's phoenix-like eyes, Yun Shunnian quickly realized he hadn't just woken up.
"Mu Qi, you didn't sleep again."
"Mu Qi, we don't live in ancient times. We don't need one person on guard duty and the other sleeping."
Yun Shunnian tried to lighten the mood with a half-joking remark.
"We do. If you disappear, I'll drag you back and die with you."
Mu Qi spoke each word with utter sincerity, completely unaware of how terrifying his words sounded.
"I'll come back on my own, Mu Qi," Yun Shunnian said dryly, her attempt to salvage the atmosphere having failed.
Mu Qi's expression remained unchanged. "But I can't stand it for a moment."
"I... I was wrong, Mu Qi. From now on, I'll tell you wherever I go. There won't be a next time." Yun Shunnian smiled, her smile as bright as the sun.
"You know that's good," Mu Qi said. After a moment of silence, he suddenly picked Yun Shunnian up and walked towards the washroom.
...
Twenty minutes later, Yun Shunnian finished bandaging Mu Qi's wounds and they went downstairs hand in hand to have breakfast.
The one who found this most novel was Aunt Zhang.
Watching them descend hand in hand like an ordinary couple, and then soon seeing Yun Shunnian being held on Mu Qi's lap, Aunt Zhang was even more bewildered.